KARACHI: 241 vs 241; 15 vs 15; 27 vs 16. The greatest World Cup final of all time and perhaps the greatest ODI game ever was tied after the regular 50 overs, and after two Super Overs. The deciding tie-breaker, the number of boundaries hit, was the only area where England and New Zealand, the two finalists were separated, and in the face of all the incredible drama leading up to it, this difference felt almost arbitrary and abstract. Nevertheless, England finally managed to lift the trophy for the first time, as New Zealand ended empty-handed for the second consecutive final, despite not really having lost this one.
Four years ago, an almighty thrashing at the hands of New Zealand had inspired England to radically change their approach to ODI cricket, with the aim being to lift this trophy. Since then, England were seen as the presumptive champions, with their ulta-aggressive batting seeming to be redefining the sport and handing them huge wins. But in a tournament defined by adaptability and resilience, New Zealand have shown how they’ve evolved from the model England tried to replicate. Embracing the bat-first, bat-safe tactics that have defined this World Cup, Kane Williamson chose to bat here after winning the toss.
England’s bowlers didn’t quite grab the initiative at first, but then Liam Plunkett underlined his value to the hosts by doing what he does best — plucking wickets in the middle. England couldn’t quite run through though, and the entire Kiwi top seven got into double figures. This in itself was a minor miracle, given their repeated failures so far, and the rare failure for captain Kane Williamson here, who had otherwise rescued the side repeatedly. A target of 242 was always going to be challenging in a World Cup final, particularly on a pitch that analytics website Cricviz rated as the eighth-toughest of the tournament to bat on.
The consistent complaint against England’s new-look side is that they tend to be flat-track bullies, and shock losses to Pakistan and Sri Lanka on slightly challenging tracks had underlined this point. They looked back at it here, as the Kiwis struck consistently to remove the top order cheaply, reducing them to 86-4. Player of the match Ben Stokes and Joss Buttler then put on a match-defining partnership to bring England to the brink, but Stokes was eventually left alone with 15 to get in the final over. Like the Kiwis would in the Super Over to follow, Stokes fell one run short of the winning target, but some would argue that he should have never gotten there at all. With 9 still to get, a throw from the outfield was deflected off Stokes’ bat to the boundary and England got six runs where they were struggling to get two. As journalist Osman Samiuddin later tweeted, “I have never seen a single slice of luck change a game like that.” Williamson, who resolutely avoided making excuses after the match, did pause to reflect how “that [Stokes deflection] was a bit of a shame, wasn’t it? You just hope it doesn’t happen in moments like that.”
It feels incredible that a four year project by one of the sport’s richest cricket boards that involved so many radical changes was ultimately beholden to a lucky ricochet. In many ways, England’s cricket board had long bankrupted the future for cashing in the present. It’s been fourteen years since cricket was available on public television in the country, causing such an alarming fall in popularity for the sport that many in the country had no clue about this match. England had also ruthlessly developed a small elite of top performers, and not cared about developing a lot of backup, looking to create a winning team immediately. While they had copied a lot of New Zealand’s ideas, they beefed it up with money and clout, being able to offer citizenships to players eligible for other countries as well.
This power has often bred a sense of petulance within this side, as was evidenced by outbursts by English players over the pitches not being batting-friendly enough this tournament. It reflected a mindset that unless things were done to their advantage, they weren’t going to be happy.
With the gripping, tense final being broadcast on free-to-air TV, one English journalist lamented over the pitch for the final as well, saying “I’m sure there are good reasons and I accept this is absorbing cricket but... bearing in mind this is on free to air and we’re trying to reach a new audience — who you’d think would be gripped more by boundaries than cagey accumulation — I think it’s a pretty disappointing pitch.”
Indeed for all its refreshing commitment to eradicating the traditional negativity and passivity of English ODI cricket, this side would feel like bullies at times, wanting things in their favor before they could be good. Their stubborn commitment to attacking cricket even as this tournament demanded adaptability spoke to a pig-headedness but in the final reckoning, it was also what made the difference.
Handing the Super Over to Jofra Archer, a 24-year-old playing his 14th ODI, was a move old English sides would have considered blasphemous. Leaving aside his race and English cricket’s attendant problems with those, he was surely too young and inexperienced. But as Stokes said, “We backed the new kid, Jofra Archer, backed the talent that he’s got, and he showed the world today.”
Languid, lithe and composed, Archer has already been an online sensation for his cricket-mad Twitter account, which seemed to predict events before they happened. But this was not about memes and retweets — this was arguably the most important over in English limited overs cricket history; the most important over for the country that invented this sport, that had lost three World Cup finals, and that had staked everything for this one trophy.
Jofra started terribly and almost gave the game away, as New Zealand looked to chase 16 runs, knowing a tie would lose them the cup. But he wrested back some control, found his composure, and cramped Martin Guptill on the last ball enough that the man who had easily bested the fielders twice in a row was now found inches short as he got run out. It wasn’t how England would have imagined it, but they trusted the approach that had gotten them here so far. They weren’t let down.
For player of the tournament Kane Williamson, who had at times dragged his side to the knockouts before they really came to life, it just wasn’t meant to be. “Look, it certainly wasn’t just one extra run. So many small parts in that match that could have gone either way as we saw. So many parts to it.”
An incredible final for a memorable World Cup, which above all was a reminder of cricket’s delightfully capricious nature. A few weeks of rain had threatened to derail years of preparations and upend the recent evolution of batting. There are few sports that can turn on their heads over such small margins. And the final of this tournament was build on the finest, smallest margins of all. May we all see such cricket again.
After 44-year wait, England win most sensational final in cricket World Cup history
After 44-year wait, England win most sensational final in cricket World Cup history
- Arguably the greatest one day international game ever was tied after the regular 50 overs, and also after two Super Overs
- A thrashing from Kiwis four years ago inspired England to radically change their approach to ODI cricket with aim of winning this series
EA Team of the Year celebrates top football players
RIYADH: To celebrate the best football players of the year, EA Sports has launched Team of the Year, allowing fans to create and vote for their dream team.
Saudi Arabia’s football talent is Salem Al-Dawsari, midfielder for Al-Hilal, who has earned his place as one of TOTY’s nominees, showcasing the region’s growing impact in the world of football.
Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, who is currently playing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, has also been nominated for TOTY.
Following the Italian and Spanish Super Cup matches, which were held in Riyadh and Jeddah, this year’s TOTY card lineup includes players from Italian teams AC Milan, Inter Milan, Atalanta, and Juventus, and Spanish teams Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
TOTY has cards for each position — goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and attackers — allowing fans to create the ultimate fantasy men’s or women’s football team.
The EA FC 25 TOTY vote will be closed on Jan. 12, 2025.
For more information on Team of the Year, visit www.ea.com/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-25/toty
Arab tennis hero Ons Jabeur plans to bounce back in 2025
- After a year beset by injuries, the Tunisian star tells Arab News she is confident of hitting the heights again
DUBAI: Last year was not one that Tunisian tennis superstar Ons Jabeur will remember with great fondness.
Having enthralled fans with her unique brand of tennis in the two previous years, reaching two Wimbledon finals and hitting the world No.2 ranking, 2024 was beset by injuries and disruptions.
As Jabeur prepares to launch her Australian Open campaign against Anhelina Kalinina of the Ukraine, she is determined to get back to the form that her army of supporters had come to expect of her.
“I’m feeling much better, happy to be back,” she told Arab News. “I feel like I’m playing good, I’m getting back into the game. I feel very motivated and definitely very positive. I can continue playing even better and the good news is there are a lot of great things to improve.”
Since landing in Australia at the start of the year, Jabeur has taken part in the Brisbane International, where she reached the quarterfinals, as well as the Adelaide International. Improving her form, and not her current WTA world ranking of 39, is the priority.
“I feel like ranking maybe would be a bit irrelevant in this case because if I focus a lot on it, I might kind of not see the level that I was in (before). I was in the top 10 for a good time and I think I need to always remember that I have that level to be one of the great players in the world.
“I always say the most important thing is that I should have the level and the ranking will follow up no matter how much time it will take.
“It is very important for me to get back to my game, and definitely improve a lot of points in my game. That would help me be a better player, especially, playing against these unbelievable players, they’re improving all the time and tennis is improving all the time. And I think it is really important for me to keep up with that game.”
Despite a tough year, Jabeur is now looking forward to mixing it with the next generation of players, for whom she has plenty of praise.
“It’s very impressive. A lot of things are growing very fast, (there are) a lot of unbelievable players,” she said. “You can see the level is super close between different players and it’s definitely an honor for me to be part of this generation, they are younger than me, but playing at the same time, it’s great to see that.
“It’s definitely motivating to get back on to the court and try to impose my game, because I know my game is a bit different than any other player and the challenge is kind of exciting.”
The Arab tennis hero is confident that she can return to the form she showed in 2022 and 2023.
“Definitely, yes. I think it’s a matter of time, a matter of motivation, and how mentally I feel about it because I always say if you’re mentally ready, and if in your head you’re ready, you can achieve anything. I think your body will follow and everything will follow.
“Now I think I have more experience than in 2022, which is a bonus I could use. But I’m definitely ready to get back into the game, to fight hard and leave everything on the court.”
Aside from her personal targets on court, Jabeur continues to be an inspiration for young Arab tennis talent, Both female and male.
“Of course, it’s one of my goals,” she said. “One of my dreams is to see our players playing on tour. I think we have the talent, I think we have so many motivated players to play on tour and I can say nothing is impossible.
“Just training from Tunisia, I discovered a lot of things and like I said, I’m happy to share my experience and … one day when I’m 100 percent focused, on maybe giving back more. That’s something I really want to do, and I think our region deserves to have more and more champions at international level.”
Saudi Arabia recently awarded citizenship to 15-year-old French tennis player Maysan Hussein, who is of Tunisian origin, and Jabeur believes such moves can help more players get a platform to realise their potential.
“I know Maysan, I met her and met her father, very nice people. Every player deserves the support, deserves to be there, deserves to not think about how much everything will cost. They just need to focus on their training and doing their best. And what Saudi and other countries are doing is really great and I hope they can help her and they can set a good program for her. I wish her well.”
Najmul to lead Bangladesh in Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy
- Key players Liton Das and former all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan not part of the squad
- ODI Champions Trophy tournament takes place in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19
DHAKA: Najmul Hossain Shanto will captain Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and Dubai next month, the cricket board said Sunday, with key players including Liton Das missing the cut.
Former star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is also missing from the 15-man squad for the one-day international tournament.
The Champions Trophy takes place in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19 with Bangladesh placed in Group A alongside India, Pakistan and New Zealand.
Bangladesh are ninth in the ICC ODI rankings.
They play their opener against India in Dubai on February 20.
Bangladesh squad: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.
Australian Open: Olympic champ Zheng Qinwen starts her bid for another final on a rainy Day 1
- They had just finished the pre-match formalities when play was delayed by a few minutes so that the roof could be closed
- It was one of the matches that continued under cover when tournament organizers suspended play on all outside courts until later in the afternoon
MELBOURNE: Zheng Qinwen’s tennis resume is quite different from what it was when she showed up at the Australian Open a full year ago. No matter everything she accomplished in 2024 — a runner-up finish at Melbourne Park; an Olympic gold medal for China — she felt jitters before entering Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.
After overcoming some hiccups late in the opening set of her first-round match on a stormy Day 1 at the season’s first major tennis tournament, Zheng came through with a 7-6 (3), 6-1 victory against Anca Todoni, a 20-year-old qualifier from Romania who has won one Grand Slam match in her career.
“Actually, I feel really nervous,” said Zheng, who is seeded No. 5. “I started to feel nervous already since yesterday, ‘cause I felt special emotion for the Australian Open. ... I really like it here.”
As well she should.
It was 12 months ago on Melbourne’s hard courts that Zheng made it all the way to the final before losing to Aryna Sabalenka. The two-time champion was due to begin her title defense as the No. 1 seed on Sunday night against 2017 US Open title winner Sloane Stephens, before Alexander Zverev, the men’s No. 2 seed, faced Lucas Pouille.
Before her run in Australia last January, Zheng had only played in eight major tournaments, making one quarterfinal. Her big-hitting breakthrough opened a season in which she wound up with a gold draped around her neck at the Paris Games in August.
The 22-year-old Zheng’s power-based game is best suited for hard courts, and playing indoors doesn’t hurt, either, so she eventually was quite comfortable against Todoni under a closed retractable roof, while thunder and lightning and a serious downpour suspended action on the courts that can’t be covered.
Still, Zheng frittered away set points while serving for the opener at 5-4, then was forced to save set points for Todoni later. Afterward, Zheng said that being nervous usually makes her focus better, but this time, it didn’t make “me play my best tennis out there.”
Maybe that’s because it was her first match of the season. Still, she was good enough on this day.
The second set was more one-sided, and Todoni took a medical timeout for treatment on her lower back after three games.
Zheng was among only a handful of players able to complete matches in the early going at what is now a 15-day tournament after a Sunday start was instituted last year. That extra time, which spreads out the first round across three days, could be particularly helpful this week, when Monday’s packed program already included matches for Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek.
Other winners Sunday afternoon included No. 14 Mirra Andreeva, a 17-year-old from Russia; No. 18 Donna Vekic and No. 20 Arthur Fils.
“To be able to play a match and to finish a match with a roof, it’s much more easy than ... to stop with the rain,” said Fils, who eliminated Otto Virtanen of Finland 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-4. “So, yeah, it’s a nice treatment.”
New Zealand recall proven trio for Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy
- New Zealand recall Kane Williamson, Devon Conway and Lockie Ferguson for upcoming tournament
- Key trio were unavailable for home ODI series against Sri Lanka due to offshore T20 commitments
Wellington: Seasoned players Kane Williamson, Devon Conway and Lockie Ferguson were recalled Sunday to an experienced New Zealand squad to contest the Champions Trophy one-day tournament.
The key trio were unavailable for the just-completed home ODI series against Sri Lanka because of offshore T20 commitments.
Batters Williamson and Conway have been playing in South Africa’s T20 league while pace bowler Ferguson is involved in Australia’s Big Bash competition.
Ben Sears was also selected for the ICC tournament co-hosted by Pakistan and UAE, having missed the 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka with a knee injury.
It will be the first senior ICC event for Sears and fellow pace bowlers Will O’Rourke and Nathan Smith.
Coach Gary Stead will oversee a squad he said also boasted experience and depth.
“We’re currently blessed with a lot of quality players and that certainly made for some challenging selection discussions,” Stead said.
Spin bowler Mitchell Santner will lead New Zealand at a major event for the first time, after being named full-time white ball captain in December.
Santner, former skipper Williamson and wicketkeeper Tom Latham were all part of the New Zealand squad for the last edition of the Champions Trophy, in England and Wales in 2017.
New Zealand will contest the tournament’s opening match against Pakistan in Karachi on February 19, followed by pool games against Bangladesh and India.
New Zealand squad: Mitchell Santner (capt), Will Young, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears, Will O’Rourke
